Hall’s Logan Larson is going home to Pleasant Plains

Logan Larson wasn’t planning on leave Hall High School after one season as head football coach.

Then an opportunity to go home arose that he couldn’t pass up.

Larson was offered and accepted the head coaching position at Pleasant Plains, his alma mater, on New Year’s Day. He is expected to be approved at the Pleasant Plains school board meeting on Monday, Jan. 27.

“It wasn’t an easy decision by any means at all. It wasn’t the plan to leave Hall after a year. It just came down to making an adult decision and doing what was best for me,” Larson said. “It’s my alma mater so I’m excited to go back.”

Larson always wanted to be a head coach for as long as he can remember and is grateful for Hall to give him that opportunity.

“I’ll never forget those group of kids and I wish the absolute best for them,” he said. “I know that group’s got a lot of potential. Bunch of good kids, good people at the school. I know they’ll be able to find a good replacement and the school will do what’s best for them.”

Larson, who graduated from Pleasant Plains in 2013 after playing two seasons at Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, will be teaching athletic PE at Pleasant Plains. At Hall, he said he was “doing a little bit of everything,” from substitute teaching, serving lunch and driving a van.

The Pleasant Plains job opened after the resignation of head coach John Hambelton in November after seven seasons. He is expected to stay on the Cardinals staff.

The Cardinals finished 2-7 last fall and went 23-39 in seven seasons under Hambelton, highlighted by a 7-4 record and a Class 3A second-round playoff appearance in 2018, his first season.

The Pleasant Plains program started in 2004, making six playoff appearances in 20 years, including a state runner-up finish in Class 3A in 2017, losing to Elmhurst IC Catholic.

“Took them awhile to have some success. It’s kinda of been here and there,” Larson said. “Brody Walworth, who’s coaching at Normal U-High, was my offensive coordinator my senior year, became the head coach two years later and had good success.

“Looking to have success there. Every sport there is super successful. We’ve just got to find away to make sure football is successful, too.”

The Red Devils Hall-Putnam County went 2-7 last fall under Larson’s direction, 1-4 in Three Rivers Mississippi play. He was the first Hall head coach hired with no ties to the school in 45 years.

Larson came to Hall last May after serving as an assistant coach for three years for 2023 Class 2A state runner-up Athens.

Hall athletic director Eric Bryant said Hall will reopen the Red Devils position immediately.

The Hall football job is the fifth in the Illinois Valley to open since the end of the season, including the newly opened position at St. Bede.

Jim Eustice has informed the Bruins this week he will be departing to take over at Mendota, succeeding Keegan Hill, who resigned at the end of last season. Eustice is expected to be named at Mendota’s upcoming school board meeting.

Ottawa Marquette filled its vacancy quickly with longtime assistant Ken Carlson following the resignation of Jim Jobst after 15 years.

The LaSalle-Peru job remains open following the resignation of Jose Medina.